The present invention relates to a sliding assisting apparatus for assisting the sliding operation of a movable body, for example, such as a drawer in either direction between a drawn-in position and a drawn-out position on a base.
As exemplified in Japanese Examined Patent No. H5-023763, in a structure in which a movable body is switched to slide between a drawn-in position and a drawn-out position on a base, it may be tiresome for the user and lack device overall quality and functionality if all the switching operations for sliding in the drawing-in direction and sliding in the drawing-out direction are performed by hand. In the JP H5-023763 reference, to overcome a design such that the movable body is forced in either direction of the drawn-out position or the drawn-in position, the device may be slid automatically toward a forced direction.
FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) respectively show the apparatus for a drawer in JP H5-023763. FIG. 10(a) is a state drawing of the drawn-in position of a movable body (not shown). FIG. 10(b) shows the drawn-out position of the same device. In these figures, item 50 is a side wall of the base, item 55 is a drive pin on the side of the movable body, item 60 is a tilting part placed between the base side wall and the movable body, and item 65 is a spring member.
A guide track 51 is provided on the base side wall 50. The guide track 51 includes a straight part 51a, which extends horizontally in the front-to-back direction, and a bow-shaped part 51b, on the front side of the device (right side in the figure). The tilting part 60 has a slot 61 which is open at the top, and a diagonal side wall 62 which extends from the front side of the slot 61, and two bolts 63 coupled in the guide track 51.
The spring member 65 accumulates force in the course of the sliding of the movable body from the drawn-in position to the drawn-out position, where one end is fixed on the side of the base and the other end is fixed on the tilting part 60. Also, in this structure, the movable body is built into the side of the base where the drive pin 55 is coupled in the slot 61.
When the movable body is slid from the drawn-in position to the drawn-out position, the tilting part 60 is moved following the straight part 51a of the guide track 51, and then it is tilted forward at the bow-shaped part 51b. Also, the drive pin 55 moves from the slot 61 to the diagonal side wall 62. In this manner, the movable body is checked or locked in the drawn-out position in opposition to the force of the spring member 65. Also, by being pushed backward, the moveable body is drawn in by the force accumulated in the spring member 65 after the drive pin 55 is returned from the diagonal wall part 62 to the slot 61.
In the JP H5-023763 reference, the design is such that the movable body is slid to the drawn-in position by the force of the spring member 65, eliminating the problem that the movable body may bound and be drawn out again when drawn in with a strong force.
In the above-mentioned conventional structure, for example, although the movable body is slid automatically almost entirely from the drawn-out position to the drawn-in position, a strong pulling operation force by this amount is required in going from the drawn-in position to the drawn-out position, making it inconvenient for the user. Also, the drive pin 55 is made to escape from the slot 61 by the forward tilting of the tilting member 60 and is coupled with the diagonal side wall 62 as a lock mechanism for locking the movable body in opposition to the force of the spring member 65. This causes a poor coupling force and the potential that the lock may be released due to vibrations, and the like.
Because the opening of the slot 61 provided on the tilting member 60 is subject to a great load accompanying the accumulation of force of the spring member 65 during the drawing-out operation of the movable body (drive pin 55), it would be desirable to make the lock gear with the drive pin 55 larger. However, a constraint exists in that it must be made such that the release of the coupling of the drive pin 55 accompanying forward tilting of the tilting member 60 also is not impeded. Also, the conventional structure is limited in the operational characteristics in that it does not have functions for assisting both operations of the case when sliding the movable body in the direction of the drawn-in position and when sliding it in the direction of the drawn-out position.
The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate problems such as the above, for example, by enabling diverse methods that may be used by a comparatively simple structure, and to improve the convenience of use, and high quality of the apparatus to which it is applied.